Golden Knights Must Trade Goalie Before 2026 NHL Deadline

Vegas has three goalies, but only one is a viable option to move as they look to upgrade in net for another Stanley Cup run.

Published on Mar. 5, 2026

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The Vegas Golden Knights are in the market for a new starting goaltender ahead of the 2026 NHL trade deadline, with Akira Schmid being the most likely player to be traded to make room. The team has struggled in net this season with injuries and inconsistent play from Adin Hill and Carter Hart, leaving them in need of an upgrade if they want to make a deep playoff run.

Why it matters

The Golden Knights have been one of the NHL's top teams since joining the league in 2017, making the Stanley Cup Finals in their inaugural season. However, their goaltending has been a weakness this year, and they'll need to address that issue if they want to win their first championship.

The details

Vegas has three goalies on their roster - Adin Hill, Carter Hart, and Akira Schmid. Hill is signed long-term but has struggled with injuries and poor play. Hart was a controversial signing due to off-ice issues, and he too has underperformed. That leaves Schmid as the most likely trade candidate, as the team looks to upgrade in net by potentially acquiring Jordan Binnington from the St. Louis Blues or Sergei Bobrovsky from the Florida Panthers.

  • The 2026 NHL trade deadline is on Friday, March 7.
  • Adin Hill has played in just 15 games this season due to injury, posting an .860 save percentage.
  • Carter Hart has a .871 save percentage in 12 games played this year.
  • Akira Schmid has a .895 save percentage in 31 games for the Golden Knights.

The players

Adin Hill

A goaltender for the Vegas Golden Knights who is signed to a long-term contract but has struggled with injuries and inconsistent play this season.

Carter Hart

A goaltender for the Vegas Golden Knights who was a controversial signing due to off-ice issues and has also underperformed this year.

Akira Schmid

A goaltender for the Vegas Golden Knights who has the best stats of the team's three goalies this season, making him the most likely trade candidate.

Jordan Binnington

A goaltender for the St. Louis Blues who could be a trade target for the Golden Knights as they look to upgrade in net.

Sergei Bobrovsky

A goaltender for the Florida Panthers who could also be a trade target for the Golden Knights as they look to upgrade in net.

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What’s next

The Golden Knights will need to decide which goaltender they want to target - either Jordan Binnington from the Blues or Sergei Bobrovsky from the Panthers - and then work on a trade package to acquire them before the March 7 deadline.

The takeaway

The Golden Knights' goaltending issues this season have put their Stanley Cup aspirations in jeopardy, and they'll need to address that problem by trading one of their current netminders in order to bring in an upgrade before the trade deadline.